Hiding was never an option, Miles realized. Three Crawleys flanked him, pointing guns at him in an aggressive manner. One sneered and poked him hard with the barrel of his rifle. "Move it."
Miles shrugged, looking sour. He moved forward, careful to keep his hands in full view. "No skin off my nose. Don't know what you want me for."
"You think we're stupid?" The Crawler poked Miles in the back harder than before. "We saw you kill our comrade. We're taking you and your friends in. You'll see what happens when you mess with the Crawleys."
I already know that, Miles thought, and it's not pretty. "Sure, sure boss."
The guards shoved him towards where they were already keeping Alice and the Librarian, who looked quite perturbed. Down the line, the Crawlers started pulling other Trailvine workers shoving them towards their staging base. The caravan boss came around and started arguing with the head Crawler. She said something about taking Miles and his party in exchange for all the Trailviner's freedom. It didn't go over well, as all the Trailviner people were lined up and shot. The boss pulled a gun and shot the nearest guard. After that, all hell broke loose.
It was hard to keep track of things after that. The Trailviners, who outnumbered the Crawleys two to one, fired everything they had at the trained soldiers. Once the guard on Miles turned his back to watch the chaos, Miles drew his sword and slashed, only to misjudge the distance and barely slice the man's arm. He cried out in pain, and fired wildly.
It was enough to hit Miles in the shoulder, who fell back. He grunted in pain as he hit the ground. His saw red at the edge of his vision. He snarled and lunged forward, slashing the man deeply in the thigh. Miles heard the main howl in pain and smiled in grim satisfaction. He scrambled to his feet and slashed the man's gun hand off. The guard passed out, never to wake again.
Miles wildly looked around. The closest cover was a tree about fifty feet away. Miles sprinted for it. He grimaced and held his shoulder as every hard footfall sent a dagger of pain into his shoulder. He leaned back against the tree, and closed his eyes briefly. This went south far too quickly for his taste. He thought for a moment about 'Annie', aware now that she was a former Crawley soldier, wondering if she was still alive.
If they managed to get through this, Miles thought, they should probably see if they could find her. Or her body.
He caught sight of the Librarian waving at him from across the dilapidated road. She managed to get cover in what was left of a building. It had walls, and that was enough, he supposed. He took a deep breath and sprinted. He heard the Caravan boss shout at him to come to her, but he ignored her. While he did understand why she offered them up, it didn't mean he had to like it.
The Librarian was firing out the door as he ran up, making sure he had cover. She nailed one of the Trailviners, a bunch of whom were running towards them. As he dived through the door, he heard the unmistakable sound of a railgun firing behind him.
He briefly watched the skirmish from the doorway, but the pain started to get to him. He noticed Alice was grazed in the shoulder and her foot was bloody. He sunk down next to her and leaned his head back. "Well. That went well," he said dryly. She shook her head in pained amusement.
The party hunkered down for the next several hours, waiting for the battle to die down. The Librarian patched Miles and Alice up as best she could in the meantime. After a while they heard the Caravan boss' call to move out, back towards Madison. Their losses were enough that they had to return. Once they were out of sight and hearing range, the three of them edged out of the ruined building.
Carnage. That was what greeted them outside. There were no Trailviner bodies, but a lot of Crawleys. Drag marks here and there testified to the cleanup. The Trailvine people didn't leave their dead behind. The Librarian grabbed a rifle that someone missed and slung it across her back.
Alice hissed in pain and pointed with her good arm. "About fifteen miles that way is a hospital. We should get patched up."
"Right," the Librarian nodded. "We... we should look for our companion as well. Or at least her body. We owe her that." She looked at Miles, "Unless you object?"
Miles shook his head. "No. We're in no other danger aside from blood loss. We should make it quick, though. We don't know if anyone will show up to investigate." No one argued that point.
Miles shrugged, looking sour. He moved forward, careful to keep his hands in full view. "No skin off my nose. Don't know what you want me for."
"You think we're stupid?" The Crawler poked Miles in the back harder than before. "We saw you kill our comrade. We're taking you and your friends in. You'll see what happens when you mess with the Crawleys."
I already know that, Miles thought, and it's not pretty. "Sure, sure boss."
The guards shoved him towards where they were already keeping Alice and the Librarian, who looked quite perturbed. Down the line, the Crawlers started pulling other Trailvine workers shoving them towards their staging base. The caravan boss came around and started arguing with the head Crawler. She said something about taking Miles and his party in exchange for all the Trailviner's freedom. It didn't go over well, as all the Trailviner people were lined up and shot. The boss pulled a gun and shot the nearest guard. After that, all hell broke loose.
It was hard to keep track of things after that. The Trailviners, who outnumbered the Crawleys two to one, fired everything they had at the trained soldiers. Once the guard on Miles turned his back to watch the chaos, Miles drew his sword and slashed, only to misjudge the distance and barely slice the man's arm. He cried out in pain, and fired wildly.
It was enough to hit Miles in the shoulder, who fell back. He grunted in pain as he hit the ground. His saw red at the edge of his vision. He snarled and lunged forward, slashing the man deeply in the thigh. Miles heard the main howl in pain and smiled in grim satisfaction. He scrambled to his feet and slashed the man's gun hand off. The guard passed out, never to wake again.
Miles wildly looked around. The closest cover was a tree about fifty feet away. Miles sprinted for it. He grimaced and held his shoulder as every hard footfall sent a dagger of pain into his shoulder. He leaned back against the tree, and closed his eyes briefly. This went south far too quickly for his taste. He thought for a moment about 'Annie', aware now that she was a former Crawley soldier, wondering if she was still alive.
If they managed to get through this, Miles thought, they should probably see if they could find her. Or her body.
He caught sight of the Librarian waving at him from across the dilapidated road. She managed to get cover in what was left of a building. It had walls, and that was enough, he supposed. He took a deep breath and sprinted. He heard the Caravan boss shout at him to come to her, but he ignored her. While he did understand why she offered them up, it didn't mean he had to like it.
The Librarian was firing out the door as he ran up, making sure he had cover. She nailed one of the Trailviners, a bunch of whom were running towards them. As he dived through the door, he heard the unmistakable sound of a railgun firing behind him.
He briefly watched the skirmish from the doorway, but the pain started to get to him. He noticed Alice was grazed in the shoulder and her foot was bloody. He sunk down next to her and leaned his head back. "Well. That went well," he said dryly. She shook her head in pained amusement.
The party hunkered down for the next several hours, waiting for the battle to die down. The Librarian patched Miles and Alice up as best she could in the meantime. After a while they heard the Caravan boss' call to move out, back towards Madison. Their losses were enough that they had to return. Once they were out of sight and hearing range, the three of them edged out of the ruined building.
Carnage. That was what greeted them outside. There were no Trailviner bodies, but a lot of Crawleys. Drag marks here and there testified to the cleanup. The Trailvine people didn't leave their dead behind. The Librarian grabbed a rifle that someone missed and slung it across her back.
Alice hissed in pain and pointed with her good arm. "About fifteen miles that way is a hospital. We should get patched up."
"Right," the Librarian nodded. "We... we should look for our companion as well. Or at least her body. We owe her that." She looked at Miles, "Unless you object?"
Miles shook his head. "No. We're in no other danger aside from blood loss. We should make it quick, though. We don't know if anyone will show up to investigate." No one argued that point.